Method of making motion-picture films



Nov. 6, 1928. J. F. SEITZ METHOD OF MAKING MOTION PICTURE FILMS Original Filed 0. -12. 1922 4 sheetssheet 1 METHOD GF MAKING MbTION PICTURE FILMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Origin'al Filed" Dec. 12. 1922 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Dec'. 12.11922 lll Nv. s,192a j J Re. 17,l25

METHOD QF MAKING MOTION PICTURE FILMS 4 Sheets-$heet 4 Original Filed Dec. 12. 1922 MILD-[JUDGE]:

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PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. SEI'IZ, OI" HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

METHOD F, fiOTION-PICTURE FILMS. I

Original m5. 1,578,854, dated March 16, I928, Serial No. 606,400, filed nu ber 12, 1922. Application for reissue filed-lovember 28, 1927. Serial No. 236,353.

My invention relates to multiple exposure work in photo raphy, and is more particularly adapted or motion-pictures.

It is the prima object of this invention provide a method will register with the utmost accuracy upon sensitized film. To this end, a picture in eluding a desired composite portion is projected from the camera upon a screen, the undesired portion being blocked out by employing a non-actinic material. For example a picture having a desired portion together with an undesired portion is to be photographed, it being necessary to inclu e the exact portion wanted and tooexclude exactly what is not wanted. It will be apparent that some method of performing these Steps accurately must be provided, and it is an object of this invention to provide'a method to accomplish such results.

It is another object of this invention to provide for the efiective combination of two or more component scenes in a composite picture by making exposures of a sensitized film employing mats of the'character above described. This a plication is a reissue application of Patent 0. 1,576,854 dated March 16, 1926.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fi 1 is a perspective showing a scene of whic a negative is taken. in the first step'in mfydprocess; Fig. 2 is'a view showin a section 0 eveloped picture of the scene ta en in the first step; Fig. 3 is a view showing the picture bein projected on a sheet, in a dark house,

and 516 making of a mat thereon; Fig. 4 shows the first exposure on the scene and the located mat to cut out the background and sky; Fig.

5 is a view showing the result of the film stri exposure; Fig. 6 is a perspective showing the second step of film exposure on the complementar'y mat to take a sky. or background Fig. 7 is a view' of a portion 9f the developed film after the second exposure; Fig. 8 shows a close up picture to be combined with a sub-y 46 uent exposure; Fig. 9 shows the step of 111 mg the second exposure to form an insort; and Fig. 10 shows the picture including the insert.

Referrin particularly to Figs. 1 to 7, a so negative 0 a scene S at which action is to ta e place is taken by a camera 0 whlch is set on locationin a substantially fixed position. A frame of this negative is then inserted into an auxiliary aperture plate P in the camera,

and this frame is projected in a dark house D of producing mats which.

not desired to appear in the final picture is I blocked out as by giving a non-actinic coat'to form a mat, the part of the scene other than the mat is made transparent. In the case of glass, if the latter is transparent no additional treatment of the screen is necessary. In the.

caseof an opaque sheet the portion to be made transparent is cut out and discarded. The auxiliary plate and lamp. are then removed from the camera, and the mat will mask that part of the scene not desired. The scene is then photographed with the mat in position by running a film which results in producing a picture in which the mat will cause such parts of the film to appear blank as shown in Fig. 5.

The first or primary mat M functions to cut out the u per area of the scene which is filmed, so that t e uncovered or blank part is photographed with or without animate figures as may be desired.

0 complete theexposure of the film, a reverse or complementary mat R is made which-- has an edge matching the irregular edge of the first mat M. The complementary mat R is thenj'set in position in front of the camera and in relation to an desired second scene as a background or s line, Fig.6. The undeveloped or light impressed film is then a second time exposed on the second scene, which results in a composite picture, namely, scene of Fig. 1' and scene of Fig. .6;' but, in each scene photographed, complemental mats of reverse positions are separately used exte rlorly of the camera. I

It is essential that the camera and mate be maintained in the same relative positions, and

to this end the sheet upon which the scene is projected and from which the mats are formed may be firmly pinned to a vertical frame V by pins W. This frame is secured to a horizontal frame I! upon which the camera is adj ustably mounted on a stand T.'

i It should be noted that it is not necessary to maintain the camera in the same position during the making of the first and second exposure. The reverse or complementary mat need not be spaced from the camera at the same distance as the first or primary mat M. While I have shown and described one ractical embodiment of my process, it will he readily understood that various other scenes and arrangements of scenes ma made without-departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

For illustration, my method may be used to first take afilm F of a closep as shown in Fig. 8 of the profile of a person holding a tumbler. Ascene may be made to appear in the bowl of the tumbler, and that I accomplish by fixing the camera C on its sup ort H and projecting an image therefrom, y use of the lamp L, onto a screen or paper 3 placed in front of the camera. Then a portion of the 1 paper is cut out as at 4 at that portion of the projected image in which the insert is to appear.

The film F with its take undeveloped is then placed in the camera and again run.

This second exposure will include such scene 5 as ma be visible through the hole 4 made in the mat or barrier 3. I

The term camera is used throughout this specification in its broad sense and includes rojection printers. Thus, the camera may he used as a projector. The term blocking out has been used to mean occluding the passageof light rays'or their reflection. The term scene has been used to include paintings, drawings, and natural or artificial objects of every kind known in the art of photography and motion pictures.

What I claim is 1. In the art of makin" composite motion pictures the steps of makinga picture of a scene having a desired com onent, and blocking out thereon all but the esired component to produce a blocked picture, projecting the blocked picture upon a screen, outlining a mat thereon complementar to and matching the desired component by the aid of said projected blocked picture so as to optically register with and mask the desired component.

2. In the art of makin composite motion pictures, the steps of ma ing a picture of a scene having a desired com onent, and blocking out thereon all but the esired component to produce a blocked picture, projecting the blocked picture u on a screen, outlining a mat thereon comp ementary to and matching the desired component by the aid of said projected blocked picture so as to optically register with and mask the desired component, making a light impression of said blocked component on a film, making a second light impression of a supplementary component on said film while maintaining said mat in masking position, and developing said film.

3. In the art of making composite motion pictures, the method of making a mat comprising making a picture having a component portion of a desired composite picture, proecting said picture upon a screen, blocking out on said screen all but the desired projected component, and making said unblocked portion transparent so as to produce a mat ,from said screen.

fl. In the art of making composite motion pictures, the method comprising creating a scene including a component portion of a desired' composite picture, photographing with a camera said scene, projecting such photographed picture upon a screen, blocking out OII'SaId screen all but the projected component and making said unblocked portion transparent'so as to produce a mat from said screen, maintaining said camera and mat in exactly the same position relative to said scene as when photographed, and photoraphing with said camera upon a sensitized film said scene'with said mat in position.

\ 5. A method of making composite motion pictures comprising making a transparency of a scene, casting an image therefrom onto a screen, blocking out on said screen by aid of the projected image all but a first component toproduce a first mat, making a first exposure of the scene while the first mat is in the same optical relation to the transparency; making a second mat by the same process, but reverse to the first mat to cover the first component, and making a second exposure with the second mat in masking position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 

